


Spiders, and What You Can Learn from Them

by blueleaf_les



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Elves, Fellowship of the Ring, Gen, Giant Spiders, Glorfindel being dragged by the hair again, M/M, Rivendell | Imladris, Silvan Elves' Rituals, two months in Rivendell, vaccinate your favourite person in the world, vaccinations are important
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:54:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25648420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueleaf_les/pseuds/blueleaf_les
Summary: Two months in Rivendell passed mostly undisturbed; but only for the Hobbits. Without them knowing (because why would Gandalf or Elrond want to scare them?) giant spiders sent by the Enemy attack Rivendell. Legolas leads an expedition against the poisonous creatures - Aragorn, Boromir and Gimli follow him and by their deeds of courage win the battle.Read this ff to get to know:- what do Legolas and a Balrog have in common?- why hasn’t Glorfindel become one of the members of the Fellowship?- why is Aragorn the only person in Rivendell who was vaccinated?- how do the imperialist practices of non-Silvan Elves do them disadvantage?
Relationships: Aragorn | Estel/Boromir (Son of Denethor II), Bilbo Baggins & Frodo Baggins, Bilbo Baggins & Glóin, Gimli (Son of Glóin) & Glóin, Gimli (Son of Glóin)/Legolas Greenleaf
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	1. The Price of Information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the Fellowship’s two-months long stay in Rivendell, a secret meeting is held. Gimli bribes Gandalf with a bundle of Longbottom Leaf in order to be allowed to take part in it. Joining Elrond, Glorfindel, Aragorn, Arwen, Legolas and Boromir in a secret chamber, he learns that the Enemy sent giant spiders to find Frodo. He embarks on a mission led by the strange Elf to save the Ring-bearer and Rivendell.

(...) low in the South one star shone red. Every night, as the Moon waned again, it shone brighter and brighter. Frodo cold see it from his window, deep in the heavens, burning like a watchful eye that glared above the trees on the brink of the valley. 

He felt uneasy because of it, so even though he was often tired and would like to sleep more, he preferred to stay until late with his friends. Gandalf and Aragorn did not have much time for him, but Sam, Merry and Pippin were always there to cheer him up, or at least try to. Bilbo, while not writing his famous book or reading fragments of it to those who still wished to listen, was having enjoyable time with Glóin and his son. One evening they all stayed late, accompanied also by Arwen, because Bilbo and Glóin were relating one of minor adventures that happened on their Road to the Lonely Mountain, when suddenly the door to the chamber burst open and a young Elfling entered. 

‘My Lords’ the page addressed Aragorn and Gandalf, bowing low to them and ignoring everyone else. ‘I regret to have to disturb your time with our guests, but Lord Elrond bids you come to his quarters.’

‘What’s it this time?!’ Bilbo murmured before either of them managed to answer. It was easy to notice he was irritated with being interrupted, but Gimli blessed the reason for a break, no matter what it was. He was not in the mood to listen to the same old story all over again. 

Arwen smiled and stood up, taking Aragorn’s hand, as if she wanted to say she’d go with him wherever need called; not only to talk to her father. 

‘I am not allowed to explain the issue here’ the servant replied gladly. Although he was in Bilbo’s years, he was considered a baby, so he loved to be able to appear condescending to the guests. ‘Lord Elrond bids you to haste, for we are in danger.’ 

Aragorn and Arwen left, holding hands but alert. Gandalf grumped and followed them, leaving Bilbo performatively offended, Glóin - disappointed but not surprised, the younger hobbits - genuinely interested and Gimli - politely silent. 

‘I wonder what the old man’s up to this time, huh!’ Bilbo expressed what others thought, too. 

‘I don’t understand’, Glóin sighed, adjusting his collar to his neck, because it got colder that day. ‘And you know, Bilbo, at this point I’m just too afraid to ask.’

‘I absolutely follow you, Mr. Glóin’, said Sam. He was amused to be able to stay in the company of someone of such renown as Mr. Glóin, Mr. Bilbo’s friend. ‘But I believe that Gandalf and Mr. Strider can find cure for anything. Let us not worry needlessly. Mr. Frodo, wouldn’t you like to go to sleep now? Your wound hasn’t healed…’

Frodo was too tired to worry. When he was saying his good nights to the rest of the gathering (and everyone’s moods suddenly dropped), Gimli took advantage of his father’s inattentiveness and sneaked out. He wanted to know what danger should be expected. 

He ran after Gandalf and managed to catch him yet. 

‘I would hate it to disturb you at this late hour and while you are enjoying a walk, but…’ he started, and Gandalf didn’t let him finish. 

‘You want to know what’s going on, right?’ he glanced at the Dwarf. Gimli nodded. ‘Then come with me and hear all of it, for I have no idea what Elrond wants from me this time and I have better things to do than quench your curiousness, young lad.’

Gimli wasn’t sure if he should thank Gandalf or remind him that from the very beginning of this conversation he wished not to be a burden. He didn’t manage to decide which solution would be better (the second one was more accurate to what he wanted to say, but he knew this would close the door for knowing), because Gandalf spoke again. 

‘Do you have any pipeweed left?’

Gimli reached to his pocket and handed a small bundle to Gandalf, thinking that if he’s so willing to be paid for information in Longbottom Leaf, then Middle-Earth might be having problems indeed. 

‘Thank you’ Gandalf packed a dose into his pipe immediately ‘and follow me!’

After a short walk in the richly ornamented halls of Rivendell they entered a well-lighted room, with a big table in the middle, around which were standing: Elrond, Aragorn, Arwen, Glorfindel, Boromir and - surprisingly - Legolas, who seemed - also surprisingly - most calm of all. They seemed to have just stopped in the middle of a feverish conversation. 

‘What this time?’ Gandalf asked, standing between Elrond and Glorfindel. Gimli decided to pretend he was invited and everything is as it should be. He took place by Gandalf’s left and looked at the faces of the present. Glorfindel and Elrond presented restlessness, Arwen, who held tight to Aragorn’s arm, had the appearance of a person who knows the solution to a difficult problem but is not listened to, Aragorn and Boromir were agitated, Legolas was again humming to himself. 

Elrond looked at Gimli, and Gimli knew that he’s aware of the fact that he’s just sneaked into a secret council like a burglar into the Elven king’s wine cellar. He knew Elrond knew but hadn’t showed any sign of remorse, on the contrary - he met Elrond’s eyes with peace in his own and managed not to blink. Elrond sighed softly and looked at Gandalf with sorrow. 

‘We have another pack of guests’ said Glorfindel. 

‘To put it mildly’ added Elrond. 

‘Uninvited again’ Glorfindel looked at Legolas and smiled. ‘I never suspected Mirkwood creatures would dare to invade us…’

‘Spiders?’ asked Gandalf. Gimli remembered his father and uncles’ stories about the giant Mirkwood spiders that attacked them and attempted to have them for supper, and he shivered a little. In his early childhood he had nothing against spiders, but since majority of his elders hated even the smallest of them, he acquired a strong dislike to them, too, and after a short time his reaction to an average-sized spider was dominated by fear. 

‘Ye should be relieved they’re just spiders and not the Silvan folk’ said Legolas, his expression still stone-still. ‘The spiders are not as dangerous when mad.’ He smiled, showing his teeth. Glorfindel exhaled with disgust and directed his eyes towards Aragorn, as if he wanted to ask ‘do you still name him your friend?’. Elrond touched his forehead with his fingers. 

‘Please, stop.’ He addressed Gandalf. ‘I must admit I am disturbed by the fact that they have found the way to our domain. Our watchers said they have crossed the River and killed some of the wardens. The rest fled to inform us that there are plenty of them and they are seemingly heading here.’

‘That’s not good, that’s not good!’ murmured Gandalf, nevertheless creating smoke-circles above the heads of the present. 

‘Aragorn advised me to ask Legolas for help, and I am very likely to accept this suggestion, especially since our guest expressed his will to lead an expedition, for which I am very thankful.’ Elrond bowed his head in general direction of Legolas and Legolas lowered his, too. ‘However, I would greatly like to hear your expertise, Mithrandir. What would you have us do?’

Gimli observed that Gandalf’s expression turned exceptionally serious. After a short while the Wizard spoke. 

‘I suppose none of us doubts that they are here for Frodo. The Enemy is sending… Ah, I have no patience to explain this over and over again! You know what danger awaits us!’

They waited for him to continue, but all he did was produce more circles. 

‘Well, do you have any advice for us, Gandalf?’ asked Arwen. Gimli thought her politeness colder than the depths of Mirrormere. 

‘I don’t know, maybe… kill them?’ he answered. ‘If you have to ask me what to do with them, I feel you need to retake the Council. We don’t want the Enemy to get the Ring, do we? Then we should eliminate those who can enter here and find it. I can’t believe that’s all you brought me here for!’

Glorfindel smirked. 

‘You surprise me, Mithrandir. Then… I’ll go.’

‘You should not go alone, my Lord’, said Elrond very politely and caught Glorfindel’s arm lest he would run away at once. ‘I beg you to listen to the advice of someone who…’

‘Anyone who wishes can come with me. Prepare now, for I will not wait.’

He shook off Elrond’s hand and left the chamber. 

‘Ye’ll need wooden shields’ Legolas addressed Aragorn and Boromir. ‘Metal ones make the toxins splash, wood neutralises the spider’s poison. Take long knives with narrow blades.’

‘Why? Would not a sword be better?’ asked Boromir. ‘Since our friend has Narsil…’

‘I know, I know, it’s just… the spiders have a thick carapace. Several strokes of a blade are needed to cut it and there’s no time if a spider’s that close. It can kill in many ways and the only way to prevent it is to be faster than it. So it’s most profitable to just inject the blade in between the carapaces. That’s the quickest way. So I strongly recommend very narrow blades, and wooden covers, especially on the parts of body ye most value.’

‘We might have some wooden shields’ said Aragorn. ‘Follow me, my friends, I’ll try to provide everything, and be really grateful if you’ll come to the rescue of my home.’

Legolas smiled and bowed. Boromir did the same, saying something that sounded like ‘with pleasure’.

‘At your service’, said Gimli. 

‘Are you coming, too?’ asked Boromir when they were following Aragorn to the armoury. Legolas asked for a wooden shield, ‘if ye can spare any’, and stayed for a moment to tell Elrond that if the mission fails, the archers will be most efficient at exterminating the spiders. Aragorn opened the door to the armoury and lit the beacons inside so that the guests could see well and choose weapons to their liking. 

‘Of course I am’ was all Gimli could think of. Suddenly it dawned on him that he was about to fight the dangerous creatures that almost killed his father and uncles. He used to treat them like fairy-tales characters, and now suddenly they existed. And it was no exercise. 

As far as he could see, Boromir and Aragorn were nowhere near as distressed as he was. He decided not to show any sign of fear. 

They chose long knives for themselves and were given huge shields that looked mossy and rustic. 

‘I hope they’ll work’ said Aragorn, taking an additional one. ‘And I hope we’ll find Glorfindel still alive.’

Gimli chose a spear for himself, but accepted a knife as well. 

‘What could possibly happen to lord Glorfindel? He’s a mighty warrior’ replied Boromir, when they were hurrying to the gate to meet Legolas. 

‘He has no idea how to fight the spiders, and they are very specific… enemies’ answered Aragorn. ‘You’ll see. Just listen to what Legolas says, he has a human life-long experience. Sixty times that.’

‘Have you fought them before?’ asked Gimli. The shield was light for him but he hasn’t yet found a convenient way to carry it.

‘Once. When I was 19. But that’s not a tale for now. Quick!’

*


	2. While Waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting to know that Gimli has gone to the woods together with three suspicious figures in order to fight giant spiders, Glóin panics. He and Bilbo wait for the expedition to come, while the Elves arm themselves in case Legolas, Aragorn, Boromir and Gilmi fail to kill the spiders. Meanwhile, the spiders attack. 
> 
> It is the first time Gimli has ever fought outside the exercise field.

‘You say WHAT happened to my son? You say WHERE he went?’

Never has Elrond seen a Dwarf that enraged as when he had to inform Glóin that Gimli has just went off with two Men and a strange Elf to get killed by a Mirkwood spider. Glóin was, in fact, in despair.

‘I am sorry, I could not, and would not, stop him. He was very willing to fight, and…’

‘And it suited your purpose!’ Glóin’s face was utterly red. Standing beside him, Bilbo could well see the rage in his eyes. ‘You would gladly accept help at defending Rivendell! And expect other Folk to…’

‘My dear friend Glóin, I would never have made him to do it, it was his decision to take and nobody prompted him, I -’

‘What’s going on?’ They heard Gandalf’s voice. The Wizard entered, smoking his pipe. A spark of understanding shone in Glóin’s eyes. 

‘It was YOU!-’ he shouted. ‘YOU tempted my son into this madness!... You troublemaker!’

Gandalf made an innocent expression and made another smoke circle with the pipeweed Gimli gave him. 

‘I am once again asking for you to hearken to what I am saying’, Elrond said very slowly. ‘I have not… nobody, in fact, has tempted your…’

‘I cannot believe this!’, Glóin cried. ‘If anything happens to my son, I swear on Durin’s beard, I…’ he couldn’t finish. Tears appeared in his eyes and he supported his head on Bilbo’s arm. Bilbo patted his shoulders and looked at Gandalf disapprovingly. 

‘I hope you have a decent explanation to this, my friend.’ He frowned. 

*

In the utter darkness, two Men and a Dwarf were following a strange Elf deeper into the wood by the River. It was very quiet, except for occasional gasp of wind, and cold. 

Suddenly the guide stopped and raised his hand as if to make sure they said nothing. Boromir stood patiently, holding his big wooden shield as if it was made for him. He seemed fearless. Aragorn was gazing into the night. He smiled to Gimli to pass some courage on to him.

‘Did’ye like Glorfindel?’, Legolas asked unexpectedly and turned to Aragorn, who seemed surprised by this question at this moment. 

‘Of course I did, I still like him, why are you…’

Legolas swore in his dialect. 

‘Why are you asking?’, Aragorn demanded. 

‘Because he might be dead’, answered the Elf. ‘If we don’t hurry he’ll certainly die. The spiders must have caught him.’

‘Let’s hurry, then’ Boromir encouraged them. 

‘Wait a second’, Legolas laid a hand on his shoulder. ‘Wait. We can’t come there and let the spiders do to us what they did to this eejit. We are few, which is a disadvantage. But we can make it, if we do it wisely.’

He inhaled, trying to calm himself down. 

‘By the sounds I estimate there are not more than fifteen spiders there. One of them is wounded, I heard them discuss it, so…’

‘How come you can understand what the spiders say, Master Elf?’, Gimli wanted to know. 

‘The spiders invited themselves into Greenwood’, Legolas said, looking at him with dissatisfaction. ‘So we were forced to listen to their foul voices, and after some time started to understand them. It is useful, but it hurts.’

‘Let’s save questions and answers for later’, suggested Boromir. 

‘Yes, I’m almost done.’ Legolas continued. ‘There is no rule as to how kill the beasts. All that works is good. I can only advise you to hit the in-betweens of their carapace. Chances are they’ll back off. It’s also good to get under the spider to hit it in the belly. Stinks worse than an orc, I warn you though. Cover yourself with the shields whenever you can. The poison may kill you or harm you very much. The spiders spit with a sticky substance: never touch it if you can avoid it. If you get bitten, you die - if not instantly, then soon enough. It might be different for you’, he turned to Gimli, ‘because it seems to have a milder effect on Dwarves, but it will certainly kill a human. If anyone of you gets bitten, some other must get him away from the battle at once. It does not apply for me.’

‘Why?! You’re the leader now, and it is unacceptable to leave the leader behind!’ Boromir objected. 

‘I will not be left behind. The spider poison will not harm me. I have been bitten thousands of times and survived. Do not pay attention to me but do care for each other. I will do my absolute best to save you. Oh, and - make sure to be as loud as you can. Spiders are afraid of screams. Now, let’s go, they’re near!’

He adjusted the arrow to the bow and soon shot. Aragorn followed his lead and took to shooting, too. Gimli gripped his spear (he regretted having left his axe in the palace now); Boromir blowed his horn. 

‘Yeesss! Great idea!’, shouted Legolas. ‘Louder! Louder! They’ll think we’re an entire troop! AIIII!! AI AI AI AI!’, he screamed on a high note, and it made Gimli shiver. The Elf’s voice was shrill and very, very unpleasant. Gimli couldn’t see the spiders yet, and waiting made him nervous. He inhaled and started shouting insults in his own language, hoping to let the spiders know that they are being attacked by an angry Dwarf. 

Never before had he fought for life. This was his battle-initiation: under an Elf’s command, in utter darkness, against monstrous spiders. 

*

Never trust an Elf, Glóin was repeating to himself. Never trust an Elf again. They sent my laddie to certain death! 

He observed how Elrond commanded a regiment of archers, well prepared and assured, he even noticed Lady Arwen and her brothers join the first line. He was told that there fifteen spiders - the watchers who fled weren’t sure they’ve counted correctly, but it was so estimated. To someone less experienced than Glóin was all this fuss could have seemed excessive - but both he and Bilbo knew how the spiders are dangerous. 

They held close to one another, and tried to get information. The Elves were preoccupied with discussing what exactly should be done and in what order. Someone suggested letting Frodo know, but Elrond disallowed any such action. 

‘We have very high chances of killing the spiders instantly. We cannot scare the Ring-bearer. Everything should be in order very soon. Please, do not panic, do not despair.’

‘My poor laddie!’, Glóin lamented. ‘He has literally no experience in war! He is a DIPLOMAT! He is a POET! He wasn’t made for fighting!’

Bilbo hugged him and said:

‘Glóin, my friend, look at me and tell me: do I look like I was made for fighting? I definitely do not!... And yet I saved the thirteen of you back then… Gimli is so much stronger, wiser and…’

‘He’s so young! Too young to die!’

‘Master Glóin, please do not despair.’ They heard Lady Arwen’s voice. She approached them, holding her bow, ready for the battle and serious. She bowed before the Dwarf and the Hobbit. ‘My cousin Legolas is with your son, he’s spent his entire li…’

‘Legolas counts as burden’, murmured a gloomy Elf, who materialised by her side. Arwen threw him an angry glance. ‘Not as an advantage.’

‘Shut up’, Arwen asked him politely, and then addressed Glóin again. ‘Be assured that Legolas knows what to do. He is from Mirkwood, they had to deal with the spiders for a long time.’

‘We know that’, said Bilbo, shaking his head. ‘And who is this Legolas again? Never heard of him.’

*


	3. The Two Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli and Boromir fight the giant spiders and all four survive, though Boromir is wounded. Aragorn and Gimli stay to get the spider poison off of him while Legolas searches for Glorfindel. Gimli and Boromir educate Aragorn on the importance of vaccinations. When Glorfindel is found, they all return to Rivendell to tell Elrond the spiders are gotten rid of.

A freakin’ big spider appeared out of nowhere. Gimli felt courage pour into him from an unknown source: he leaped towards the creature and hit it strongly with a spear. Boromir blew his horn once again and then threw himself to attack the many-legged enemy. Legolas was still wailing, as if he never had to breathe. His voice seemed to move around the place. Aragorn’s howls could be heard once and again. Gimli and Boromir were desperately trying to avoid the spider’s poison. It was spitting a dark substance all around, so they had to hold their shields in front of them. Gimli stuck his spear in between the beast’s carapace and was pushing it deeper and deeper inside. 

‘Hold it like that!’, shouted Boromir. He jumped on the spider’s hairy leg and soon was on top of its back, hittin the foul neck with the knife. He screamed with pain, because another beast spat at him. The first spider fell on the ground, growling. Gimli pulled his spear out and attacked another. Boromir slipped on the grass and followed him with even more enthusiasm. They repeated what they’ve done before. 

‘Ye, ye! Hold it!’

‘Well done, friend!’

This time it was easier. The spider fell down and they backed to attack another one - but none came. 

‘Is it over?’, asked Boromir, holding up his knife. Gimli looked around and saw Legolas jumping off from one of the spiders with something that looked like a glass bottle in his hands, and Aragorn kneeling down by the one of the carcasses. 

‘It is’, said Aragorn, standing up with what remained of his shield. ‘Legolas is fast.’

‘Yall are’, laughed the Elf. ‘I aven’t expected this to go so well! Ye’ve done great!’ He approached Aragorn, hugged him and even lifted him a little above the ground. They exchanged smiles, and came closer to the newly-made friends. Legolas shook hands with Boromir and congratulated him cheerfully, and then bowed before Gimli and said:

‘It was a pleasure indeed to watch ye in action. I’m honoured by your company, Gimli son of Glóin!’

‘Are you hurt?’, asked Aragorn, leaning down for Gimli. 

‘Ye looks as if you were in deep shock, Master Dwarf’, Legolas said quietly. ‘Were ye bitten?’

‘No, no’, Gimli shook his head. He just wanted to sit down, or even better: get away from the foul smell that suddenly hit his nostrils. The spiders reeked. ‘Boromir was…’

‘Not bitten, but the poison…’ Boromir staggered, and Aragorn held him immediately. 

‘I will try to heal you right now, this can be very serious’, he said and helped Boromir to sit down. ‘Gimli, can you help me? And you, Legolas, could you… possibly… go look for lord Glorfindel?’

Legolas vanished, and Gimli did what Agarorn bade him. They ripped Boromir’s clothes off of his body (they seemed to stick to his skin in several places). Boromir was trying hard not to shout. He bit his hand and bashed his teeth, growling painfully. 

‘Shh, my friend, we have to get this off of you’, Aragorn said. ‘I am so sorry this happened to you.’

‘’Tis nothing…’ moaned Boromir. ‘I-I am s-sorry t-to have caused you trouble…’ Gimli saw his tears and thought guilty. 

‘I shouldn’t have just stand on the ground while you fought the beast from above’, he said. 

‘You were a very good team’, said Aragorn. ‘You did much, much better than I did when I met the spiders for the first time, I must say…’

‘M-my d-dear friend, t-that is h-hardly a compliment… you said you were nineteen… I am forty…’, Boromir laughed, laying down on the ground for Gimli to rip off the remains of the clothes from his back. 

‘But I was accompanied by more than one Mirkwood Elf’, explained Aragorn. ‘There was an army of them, in fact, and I was closely watched by king Thranduil’s own bodyguards.’ He wanted to drive Boromir’s attention away from the pain. ‘I was visiting Mirkwood by Lord Elrond’s leave and it so happened that I was introduced to Legolas, who was to take care of me and decided that I would be best entertained by the spider hunt. He asked me if I wanted to join him and the regiment of archers in which he belonged. I was nineteen and very curious, and also extremely willing to show off with my strength and wisdom…’, his voice was very pleasant, but Gimli judged from his expression that he is barely paying attention to what he’s saying, focusing on Boromir’s injuries. Gimli was handing leaves of plants growing nearby and Aragorn was rubbing the poison off with them. Such a method seemed hugely inappropriate with so severe wounds, but he said nothing, understanding that time is precious now, and trusting that Aragorn knows what he’s doing. 

‘Once king Thranduil got to know… what his son came up with… He was not exactly calm nor glad… But I would not resign an adventure, and also wanted to see the giant spiders from Bilbo’s story…’

‘Oh, so you’ve known old Bilbo before?’, asked Gimli, believing that it would do good to distract Boromir from the pain. Also he admired Aragorn more and more: he seemed to be friends with everyone, and now he felt his own connections, with which he used to boast even in Rivendell, were not so impressive. 

‘He was Elrond’s frequent guest’, answered Aragorn, smiling a bit. ‘I’ve known him since his first visit, when I was eleven… He was often coming to the library, I taught him his Sindarin, and now he’s correcting my pronunciation, can you imagine…’

Boromir laughed; his breath seemed heavy. Gimli tried to imagine how much his back hurt, even though the nasty wound looked a little better now, after Aragorn’s medical intervention. Gimli wanted to know how it was done - his own experience (and his father insisted that he got some healing practice) told him it would not be done away with so easily. 

‘T-tell us more about th-he spiders’, asked Boromir, and exhaled painfully. He was sweating and felt weaker than ever, his sight was mildly but irritatingly disturbed. ‘W-will I die?...’ The poison gave him a horrible taste in his mouth, and all his senses provided suffering.

‘You definitely will not’, Aragorn smirked. ‘I took good care of you, and so at once, and when we come back, Elrond will finish what I started. Fear not, we know how to get rid of the poison, I promise you that you’ll be fine by the end of the week. The poison only kills if it’s left in the victim’s body for too long.’

‘How come then, that my kin were not instantly killed?’, asked Gimli. ‘They were bitten, not just splashed with this… this…’

‘I do not know, exactly. Dwarves must be more resistant to the poison.’

‘Are Elves more resistant?’, asked Boromir. ‘I s-saw th-hat Legolas was bitten at least once a while ago…’

‘Well, no’, said Aragorn hesitatingly. ‘And yes at the same time. They are not…. inherently resistant to the spider’s poison. I am told they are, on the contrary, killed by the poison very easily if it’s not cleaned off of them soon enough. That is why I fear so much about Lord Glorfindel, who went there covered with metal and with inappropriate weapon.’

And - he thought to himself - possibly with his hair loose again…

‘And that is why the Rivendell Elves fear so much and stayed behind the safe walls. They know they can be easily killed. It is not so for Legolas, however, because he was being prepared for the contact with the spiders’ poison since he was born. Silvan Elves practice a sacred ritual in which an Elfling’s arm is cut and a little drop of a toxic substance is rubbed into the wound. Their bodies learn how to deal with small amounts of toxins in order to…’

‘That is called a vaccination’, said Gimli (even though he was terrified with the idea of vaccinating someone by cutting their arm instead of injecting the substance with the use of a special needle). ‘You do not have to explain to me how it works.’

Boromir gasped; either of pain or excitement. 

‘Yes, Aragorn, Gimli is right. I know a different word for it, though, but anyway the process is known to me. It is practiced in Gondor by law, for many diseases. Spiders’ poison has not been one of the dangers so far, but I see we should start thinking about it…’

‘Wait, what? I thought it was a very Silvan thing…’ Aragorn sounded as if he was genuinely surprised.

‘My laddie, are you living in the deep of a lake?’ Gimli was shocked someone would not treat a basic medical procedure as universal. ‘Do you really think…’

The three looked at one another, trying to gather information. 

‘Do I understand it well? Do you only know about vaccines because you visited Mirkwood when you were nineteen?’, Boromir asked, frowning, and moaned, because his back hurt. 

‘Yes…’

‘And you have not been vaccinated before?’

‘No, I have not… I had no idea this word existed, I knew the Silvan ritual from Elrond’s vague explanations and then I underwent it together with a bunch of Mirkwood Elflings before I was allowed to hunt the spiders with Legolas and the other archers.’

‘Non-Silvans must be the only folk in the entire Middle Earth who have not heard of vaccination then…’, sighed Gimli. Aragorn blinked several times and did not know what to say, when they heard Legolas’s voice. 

‘They are!’, he laughed. They turned and saw him coming from between the trees, dragging a shapeless behind him. ‘But that’s for another conversation. Now help me with Glorfindel. He’s nearly as heavy as he’s dense.’

Aragorn gasped, recognising it was Lord Glorfindel who was being dragged as a sack of potatoes. Legolas had draped his hand with Glorfindel’s hair and seemed to be enjoying the irony of it. 

*


End file.
